This film made great use of the background for both humorous and dark mood setting purposes.The one complaint I had with this film was the abrupt transition to some sort of symbolic "meta-scene" right around the last 10 minutes of the film. It just felt jarring and didn't really resolve or leave me thinking anything. I would not be surprised if I just missed some symbolism, but it just didn't resonate with me. But luckily I did not feel it ruined the film for me.So in summary, this film is a fantastic surface level action flick. I would describe it as the inverse of the TV show "Cops". Similar camera-work during the action. It also had some real depth to it's characters, and man was there chemistry. It'll leave you wishing you could see more of the characters yet the point kind of is that you just see a glimpse of their lives. More would take away from the poignancy.

Yes, it's a film revolving around guns, girls, money, drugs, and thugs but its hyperrealistic treatment makes it a fascinating watch. To watch Nicolas Cage and Willem Dafoe wreck havoc together in front of the motion picture camera is a sight to behold. Dafoe gets to play the crazier character but Cage is never the one to hold back. The scene in which his character beats a lady cop senseless is a major highlight of Cage's portrayal. While Dafoe's character takes the definition of wacko to a whole new level, Cage's calm and composed character is like a time bomb waiting to explode.If you are a fan of Cage and/or Dafoe and/or Schrader, you simply cannot afford to miss Dog Eat Dog.For more on the world of cinema, please visit my film blog "A Potpourri of Vestiges".

cracks out prime performances in great tales: see "Joe" 2013 , for example. Defoe has his usual solid charisma, jacked up for a wild "Mad Dog" character. 3rd guy is good too. They're all interesting and funny. This is something Tarantino used to know how to do – or could have done – if he weren't preoccupied in stylistically redundant pantomimes.